<div><h1 id='ch23'>CHAPTER XXIII<br/> <span class='sub-head'>BILLY HUNTS IN VAIN</span></h1></div>
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<p class='line0'>All secrets, ’tis the law of fate,</p>
<p class='line0'>Will be discovered soon or late.</p>
<p class='line0'>                    <span class='it'>Billy Mink.</span></p>
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<p class='pindent'><span class='sc'>In</span> vain Billy Mink searched for
Rats in the big barn. The smell
of them was everywhere, but the
Rats themselves had disappeared
completely. Time after time, following
a trail, Billy was led to the
opening out of doors under the
barn. It was clear that all the
Rats had left the big barn, and
that all had gone out the same
way.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“They’ve moved off somewhere,”
thought Billy. “I frightened them
so that they didn’t dare stay here
any longer. All have gone, young,
old, big, little, and middle-sized.
There is no fun left for me here in
the big barn. I think I’ll follow
them. Where they can go, I can
go. They are a gang of robbers.
They are ugly, dirty, and of no
account whatever. In fact, they’re
worse than that. They have so
many babies at a time, and have
them so often, that there is danger
that they will drive their honest
neighbors off the earth. Yes, I
think I’ll follow them.”</p>
<p class='pindent'>Billy cautiously poked his head
through the opening that led out of
doors. Then he blinked with surprise.
Outside everything was
spotlessly white. It was snowing.
It had been snowing for some time.
Not a footprint of a single Rat was
to be seen. Moreover, there was
no scent for Billy to follow by
means of his wonderful nose. The
snow had covered their trail.
Billy could only lick his lips and
wonder in which direction those
Rats had gone.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“If I knew more about this part
of the country, I would know better
where to look for those Rats,”
muttered Billy. “As it is, I
haven’t been here long enough to
know about anything but this barn,
the henhouse, and the big woodpile
between the two. I wonder if they
can have moved over to that woodpile
or to the henhouse. The
woodpile would give them hiding-places,
but they wouldn’t find anything
to eat there. If they have
gone to the henhouse, they can hide
underneath it and for food they can
steal eggs and perhaps kill a
hen. I’ve known Rats to do just
those things. I’ve known them
to kill chickens and then have
the owner of the chickens blame
me or Jimmy Skunk for it. I
hate Rats. Everybody else does.
I know nearly everybody, and
I don’t know a single person
who has a good word to say for
Robber the Rat and his gang.
I think I’ll run over to the henhouse
to see if they are there.”</p>
<p class='pindent'>So Billy Mink went first to the
big woodpile and from there to the
henhouse, but not so much as
the smell of a Rat did he find in
either place.</p>
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